Global positioning system (GPS) and other navigation systems or map services (e.g., Google Maps, MapQuest, etc.) can provide road or route directions for a vehicle to go from a current location to a target destination. These navigation systems or map services may first detect the vehicle's current location, and then, with reference to geographical road maps, identify different paths or routes from the vehicle's current location to the target destination. The navigation systems and map services may present one or more of the paths or routes to the vehicle operator as suggested paths or routes for the vehicle operator to follow to go from the current location to the target destination. The suggested paths or routes may be based on calculations of travel distance (e.g., shortest route), or based on calculations of travel time (e.g. fastest route) using historical traffic conditions data for different paths and routes. However, a path identified as being the fastest route may turn out to be slower when actually used by the vehicle operator because the traffic conditions along the route may have changed.
Consideration is now being given to systems and methods for controlling a vehicle's operation while travelling from a current location to a target destination based on dynamic considerations of multiple constraints including, for example, vehicle speed and fuel economy.